PHOTO VIA THE DOLLYWOOD FOUNDATION
Orlando Family Stage (Website) is marking Give Like Dolly Day (Website) on September 25 with a campaign to put 1,000 books into the hands of young readers ahead of the second annual Florida Children’s Book Festival, set for February 20, 2027.
Give Like Dolly Day was established by The Dollywood Foundation, home of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, as an annual global day of giving on September 25. The day honors Dolly Parton’s commitment to children’s literacy and encourages communities to support local organizations that create opportunities for children where they live.
The Florida Children’s Book Festival returns to Orlando Family Stage next February for its second year, bringing together nationally recognized children’s authors, illustrators, educators, performers, families and young readers for author conversations, performances and interactive experiences, and is free to attend.
Orlando Family Stage Artistic Director Jeff Revels said his work with Dollywood and Dolly Parton gave him a deeper appreciation for how she connected imagination with generosity, and that giving a child a book tells them their ideas and dreams matter and that a whole world is waiting for them to discover. Revels, now in his 20th year as artistic director, said he has been a fan of Dolly Parton’s since he was 8 years old, making the chance to gift books in her honor especially meaningful.
Revels said access has to mean more than simply opening the doors, pointing to Orlando Family Stage’s No Empty Seat fund and its partnership with the Orange County Library System’s Local Wanderer program as other efforts aimed at removing barriers between young people and great stories. He said giving away 1,000 books is another part of that same commitment, since every child deserves the chance to open a book of their own and discover a world that may not have been open to them before.
Community members can contribute toward the 1,000-book goal and are encouraged to share why books and reading matter to them using #GiveLikeDolly. Click HERE for more information.
